Marking the final step of a project that began several years ago, the City of Aurora (Portage County) will purchase 22 acres from Western Reserve Land Conservancy (WRLC) and grant a conservation easement on the property. The land is a critical and vital link between the 172-acre Aurora Sanctuary to the north, owned by The Audubon Society of Greater Cleveland, and the several-hundred acre Sunny Lake Park to the south, owned by the City of Aurora. Here is the property in Gold [click to enlarge]. (Olive’s note: In addition, fyi, in light blue is the Beljon property which the city agreed to allow the deleloper 3X as many houses as zoning allows. This property would also could have been a community link, as it has a power line easement, which could have had a bike trail linking it to the center of town, oh well.)
The Aurora branch of the Chagrin River (state designated as a Scenic River) flows through the property, located north of Pioneer Trail Road in Aurora. The mostly forested property contains several flood plain wetlands and many red oak trees, some three to four feet in diameter.
Aurora Mayor Lynn McGill said, “We have been interested in acquiring this property for many years. WRLC helped us obtain federal funding and acquire the property. These 22 acres provide a critical and strategic pedestrian link in our community that will allow the public to access very wild and scenic areas along the Chagrin River.” “We continue to be the “conservation city” preserving thousands of acres in the City, building a tremendous inventory of park, recreation, and conservation lands.
Mark Skowronski, WRLC’s Director of Land Protection said, “We are grateful for the Congressman’s leadership and hard work in making this conservation project a priority and a reality. We are also grateful for Mayor McGill’s leadership in continuing to identify and protect the most important natural resource areas in the City.”
Congressman Steven LaTourette said, “I was happy to secure the funding needed to acquire and conserve this important property. These types of projects benefit everyone and are critical to maintaining healthy communities. Thankfully, Western Reserve Land Conservancy was able put this deal together with Aurora. WRLC is a great asset to our region.”
